Heated curling products and heated curling clips are known in the art.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,522,407 to Kelsey discloses a heated hair clip with heatable plates mounted for universal movement to be used in connection with U-shaped hair curlers.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,294,777 to Denhup discloses a hair clip with plates for storing and releasing heat, and lateral supports for styling hair perpendicular to the scalp.
The heated curling clips of the current state of the art adjoin strands of hair, and apply direct pressure. These methods result in damaged hair follicles due to the heat and pressure exerted on hair follicles. Additionally, they result in a specific type of hair style unlike that of the instant invention.
Due to the limitations of these devices there is a need for a clip-type hair styling device wherein the clips have heat storage characteristics that avoid hair damage, and which can be used to create styles of hair comprising, in particular, loose waves and curls.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a device employing clips for styling hair, comprising a heating means and a series of heatable clips. It is a further object of the invention to provide a clip-type that does not cause damage to the hair by overly constraining or heating it. Another object of the invention is to provide a heat retaining means incorporated into the clips.
Finally, it is an object of the present invention to provide a heated hair clip device wherein the clips provide a heated space containing loosely constrained hair, thereby imparting a temporary shape to the hair when removed from a clip.